Rick Porcello (pictured) and David Price are the only two starters in the Boston Red Sox rotation who have thrown 200 or more innings in one major league season. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Miley was a workhorse and inning's eater. He's the type who can pitch 200 innings each year.

As it stands today, Dombrowski will enter the 2016 season with just two starters -- David Price and Rick Porcello -- who have ever pitched 200 or more innings in one major league season. And Porcello has done it only once (204 2/3 innings in 2014).

So it seems logical that Dombrowski might still be in the market for a No. 2 or 3 starter, although he doesn't sound like he intends to upgrade the starting rotation any more and we probably should take him at his word.

Despite having a starting rotation with just two pitchers who have ever reached the 200-inning plateau, Dombrowski likes the overall depth of it. He named Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Steven Wright and Roenis Elias, also acquired in the Miley trade, as starters behind the five already projected to begin 2016 in the rotation.

"We like our depth but we also have the ability other than with (Steven) Wright to option a lot of guys out (to the minors) so that's good depth for us while also, we think, improving our bullpen," Dombrowski said.

So Dombrowski won't be afraid to use depth starters as potential relievers if needed. He already mentioned Elias as an option out of the bullpen. Johnson also seems like a candidate if the Sox need to upgrade their left-handed depth in the major league pen.

While Dombrowski was in trade discussions involving his starters, he was looking for two things:

"What we said to people we ideally would like to have is a young bullpen arm that could pitch at the big league level for us right now to give us depth and a starting pitcher that gives us some more protection that's ready to pitch now or real close to pitching (in the majors)," Dombrowski said. "So we really were able to acquire what we wanted to."

So it sounds like Dombrowski -- now that he has his ace in Price and an extra reliever in Smith -- feels good about his depth both in the starting rotation and bullpen.

"I think in today's game, if you can build that depth in the bullpen, all the much better," Dombrowski said. "Sometimes you're in a position you can do it. Sometimes you can't. Really like the idea of having it, but also having a strong starting staff. So the combination is an appealing one."

"Johnson, I think, is more of a protection guy to start the season just because he was out and it's probably going to be more where he goes out and pitches for us at Triple A but you never can tell," Dombrowski said.